He chased down an armed suspect who pulled a gun on another man during a brawl outside a downtown Minneapolis police station, running headlong toward danger and a potentially deadly confrontation.
Minneapolis cop who disarmed suspect named 'Officer of the Year'
Officer Brent Rasmussen showed "incredible restraint, solid decisionmaking skills and great courage" in the face of danger.
June 12, 2017 at 11:29PM
After a brief but tense standoff, he persuaded the man to put down his weapon and surrender. No shots were fired.
Now Brent Rasmussen has been named Officer of the Year by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.
The award is given out annually to officers around the state who display "outstanding service, exemplary job performance or heroism" in the line of duty, according to the association.
Also recognized were a St. Paul cop, Joseph Sauer, whose quick-thinking helped find a 7-year-old girl kidnapping victim; and Hennepin County sheriff's deputy Jeff Marshall, who in addition to his work with the mentally ill and the homeless, was honored for an arrest in which he pulled over three men who officials say were manufacturing methamphetamine in their vehicle. One of the men had a warrant out for his arrest, and a search of the car turned up a gun and some ammunition.
"He's just a solid street cop," Minneapolis Police Federation president Lt. Bob Kroll said of Rasmussen. "He's a digger; he investigates suspicious things. Given the climate now, it's easy for some to say 'I'm not going to stick my neck out, it's just not worth it,' but that's not in his makeup."
Minneapolis Police Federation treasurer Dave Garman nominated Rasmussen, noting that the officer's courage was demonstrated in several other incidents, including one episode last July in which he arrested a woman who had just robbed a group of guests at a downtown hotel. Another time, he interrupted a burglary in progress.
"These activities and calls are a snapshot into the exemplary work that Officer Rasmussen does on a regular basis," Garman wrote.
Rasmussen joined the department in 2014 after stints with several smaller departments and was assigned to the First Precinct, where he has worked ever since.
His doggedness has earned him the respect of colleagues and supervisors, Kroll said.
Those qualities were on display shortly after bar-close on Aug. 23, officials said, when Rasmussen walked out of the First Precinct police station and saw a group of men fighting nearby.
When one of the men pulled a silver and black handgun from his waistband and started running after another combatant, Rasmussen gave chase, according to police. Rasmussen eventually caught up to the suspect and ordered him at gunpoint to drop his weapon, deciding against firing his own gun because there were bystanders nearby. Eventually, the man relented.
"Officer Rasmussen also showed incredible restraint and solid decisionmaking skills when choosing not to discharge his firearm due to the danger of striking innocent bystanders with gunfire," Garman wrote.
Rasmussen was later awarded the department's Medal of Valor.
"According to a supervisor, the officer showed incredible restraint, solid decisionmaking skills and great courage and heroism; I couldn't agree more," Chief Janeé Harteau said in a video posted on Facebook. "You have been selfless and professional in your actions and more than deserving of the Medal of Valor."
Libor Jany • 612-673-4064 Twitter:@StribJany
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